Anne says this is a popular Maori way to get their fix of nutrition. Some people boil them gently with onions, carrots and seasoning, but Anne's favourite method is to roast them. You can get fish heads at your local fish shop.
Ingredients
| ½ cup | Olive oil, or ricebran |
| 2 | Fish, Heads, 1-2 per person heads, scales and gills removed (Main) |
| 1 | Lemon, squeeze of juice |
| 1 to taste | Ground pepper |
| 1 to taste | Flaky sea salt |
| 1 to drizzle | Extra virgin olive oil |
| 1 to garnish | Watercress |
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Directions
- Preheat oven to 160 degC
- Line an oven tray with baking paper. Put the fish heads on it and douse the heads with the rest of the oil.
- Roast for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the heads. When the eyes have become opaque and look cooked, the heads are done.
- Finish off with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper and extra virgin olive oil.
Tip: Devour by picking through the head with a fork or clean hands and sucking the bones, inside the brain and the eyes (which for Maori are indisputably the best parts of the fish). Discard the eyeballs. These and the bones are the only inedible parts. Don't be afraid of making noise when sucking the heads - it's the only way to enjoy this dish.
